Book excerpt: A general history of the Jews, that is Spanish and Portuguese Conversos, in colonial Latin America. Although immigration was prohibited to Jews, many Conversos went to Mexico, Peru, or Brazil, where they were suspected of Judaizing and persecuted by the Inquisition after 1569. Describes Converso life and traditions, as well as Inquisitorial harassment, tortures, and trials (e.g. the alleged "conspiracy of the Portuguese" in Mexico, 1642). also refers to the Converso presence in Venezuela, the West Indies, and Argentina.